Foundation
by Apprentice Witch
Summary: As a student, Drayden unhappily begins the year in school lacking the reliability and structure it once possessed. Nearby monsters even wander in, introducing new dangers as well as new information. This well worn academic path may be damaged beyond repair.


_Author's Notes_  
_Pokemon is short for pocket monsters. So, when writing in about the pokemon world pre widespread use of pokeballs, using 'monster' rather than 'pokemon' is appropriate._

_As another note, this story takes place in my established AU, very much playing off of New Hero of Truth/Ideals. But do you need to have read the other stories to understand this one properly? Nope, not really. Takes place in Drayden's youth, so a long time ago and can stand on its own. So moving on._

* * *

**Foundation**

The tale had always been appealing to him. That was why, on his first day back to school, as he passed the framed picture, he felt compelled to stop and admire it. Going further down the hall of his dorm, Drayden even stopped at the bookshelf to pick out the familiar picture book.

Zekrom was a great monster of legend, born from splitting itself from its former being, something that monsters could apparently accomplish, in order to reach its ideals. From then on, as an individual, Zekrom had created the Unova region. It was green, beautiful, and expansive, protected by Zekrom as a paradise for not only its fellow monsters, but all creatures. The storybook ended with Zekrom promising that Unova would always be a land to be molded into the ideal, for those with a strong will to do so.

Drayden returned the book that once fascinated him to the shelf. Zekrom and its counterpart Reshiram were both part of an interesting story that played to children's curiosity about the monsters around them at the same time as downplaying their well-justified fears. As a child, Drayden knew he had to be wary of monsters. Even so, he'd often gotten caught up in the stories that told of a monster with unmatched powers that had created the region he lived and continued to look after it like some kind of deity. He'd been both comforted and enthralled by the idea.

Yes, it was a pacifying story to tell children. But Drayden wasn't really a child any more. That brief moment of nostalgia aside, he didn't pay much mind to these stories any more. Zekrom and Reshiram didn't exist anymore, if they ever even had.

Drayden would definitely have to doubt the existence of Zekrom, his favorite, even if he were still young. His formerly busy and well-loved school was now nearly empty, the grounds ill-maintained and the interior dusty. Drayden hated to see his once beloved school now so neglected. There were even rumors that it was closing after this school year.

Drayden didn't really like that idea, but could see that the spirit of the school was dying all around him. Things hadn't looked this bad even at the start of the previous school year. The new headmaster could be to blame. The previous one had retired. That person would have put forth at least an effort. Drayden wondered if they'd even found a replacement.

He wandered out of the library, and to the main courtyard, to try and meet up with any possible returning classmates. Looking around, Drayden gave a nod to the underclassmen. He saw a unfamiliar small boy toting some luggage, two adults who were apparently his parents surrounding him. So, there were new students this year after all.

"Um..." the young boy began. "Excuse me," he said.

"Yes?" Drayden said.

"Where should I go?" the small boy asked.

His father smiled awkwardly. "He's new."

Drayden nodded in understanding. "The dorms are around this way. There should be someone to help you there," he said.

The parents gave thanks, then the boy did as well after being prodded by them. As the family walked off, one of Drayden's teachers approached him. "So that's it," the teacher said, sighing.

"Sir?" Drayden said, raising an eyebrow.

"He must be the new student, Robert. I'd say he's a sign of our declining standards. He's not at all the promising sort, not like you and your classmates were when you started here. But he's our only applicant, and only new student this year. Keep an eye out for him, won't you, Drayden?"

"Yes, sir," Drayden agreed, silently appalled that he'd even be casually asked this favor. Didn't they have staff even now to deal with the needs of one young new student? If they did or didn't, it was inappropriate to ask another student to take care of things. Drayden had been taking on more and more of these kinds of tasks as it came closer to the end of his schooling here. Wasn't there any kind of structure left here?

Later in the day, Drayden discovered that there really wasn't. As he returned to the dorm, he saw the floor was as dirty as expected with all of the students moving back in. But not only that, but the furniture was in disarray, and various objects that should be put away, such as the books on the bookshelf he'd browsed in the morning, were scattered around. Drayden felt annoyed. The filth of the premises was irritating enough, but there was also the idea that some adult should be there to direct these students.

But there was none, and Drayden wasn't going to ignore the situation. "Have you both unpacked yet?" he said to some primary student. As they look at him blankly, Drayden ushered his underclassmen into their room to do so. They he began directing everyone else who had finished to come out and help clean.

"There's no mop, no soap, no bucket," one student pointed out.

"That doesn't mean that rest of the place should be like this," Drayden chided. "Get to work! You know where everything goes."

With some grumbling, everyone agreed to help. Drayden turned to begin to help them, and saw a bewildered man standing by the door. Drayden approached him, waiting for him to speak.

"Of course, I was about to get around to this," the man began, foregoing both greetings and introductions. "But thank you for your assistance, anyway."

Drayden just nodded at the man, assuming he was the new dorm master, or custodian, something like that.

The man sighed as he looked at the boys working hard. "This really is too much. I did mean to make sure it would get a good cleaning before all the students arrived."

"It's alright, sir," Drayden assured. Starting a job like his with a dwindling number of staff members must have made everything seem overwhelming. "Just let us know where the cleaning supplies have been stored. We'll have everything cleaned up soon ourselves."

"Yes, they're in one of the inactive dorm buildings... I don't really recall which. I should find out. But don't worry about that from there. I know you must be busy preparing for class, um, Mr. um... I'm sorry, I don't recall your name. We were introduced before, I know."

"Sir, I'm a student," Drayden said. He didn't have on his uniform only because they were only required to wear it on days with classes. "I'm Drayden. I'm the student council president, so maybe you've seen my picture before. We haven't met."

"Oh," the man said in surprise, and stifled his embarrassment. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Drayden. I'm the new headmaster."

"Nice to meet you," Drayden said, reaching out to shake the new headmaster's hand. Drayden thought he hid his own anger well. Would they really hire someone like this to replace the old headmaster? Someone this spineless and disorganized? The man couldn't be all that experienced either, as he hardly looked older than Drayden himself. Did they want this school's revival to fail?

"Well, I'll find out where the supplies you need are," the headmaster promised casually.

Drayden nodded, watching the man leave. Waiting a while, he eventually decided to take someone to find the supplies himself. They found a staff member who told them, then unlocked the door so Drayden and his dormmates could take what they needed. The headmaster was befuddled when he came back and noticed they were almost done. Drayden answered his questions, then got back to work, this time cleaning his own personal dorm room. It was a single, as secondary students were supposed to have, but Drayden knew most of the primary students had single rooms as well with all of the room they had now.

Upon finishing all unpacking and cleaning, Drayden went back out into the common area, sitting down and breathing for a moment. This building was definitely less cluttered, but it was only one area of peace on a very cluttered campus. Looking around, Drayden already saw something else to bother him.

In the hall, some underclassmen he recognized were speaking to the campus's only new student. They were possibly teasing him, as Robert looked fairly upset. Drayden didn't really want to get involved, but had said that he would keep an eye on the young kid. Seeing the other boys poking Robert, who how had tears running down his face, Drayden decided he would definitely have to intervene. He walked over to where the conflict was. "Is it hiding under your bed?" one boy said as Drayden arrived.

"You're really scared, huh," another said, laughing as he did.

"I don't think you're being very helpful to our new student," Drayden scolded.

The other primary students, who had been lax as they teased the younger boy, now stood up straight. "We didn't do anything," one defended.

"That's right! He's just afraid of his own shadow. We can't help it."

Drayden let the others scurry off, then turned to Robert himself. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Th-there's a monster in there. In my room!" Robert said.

Drayden considered the possibility. It really wasn't that far-fetched. Stray monsters had wander onto campus before, and the campus as a whole had been pretty neglected over the summer. It was a definite possibility that there might be a monster in his room.

"There really is!" Robert said, afraid Drayden would reject the idea the same as the other two had.

"Alright. Let's go take a look," Drayden said, looking down at the young boy.

Robert nodded seriously. He led Drayden to his dorm. Stepping inside, Drayden began to believe the story more and more. The boy's dorm was filthy even when compared to the rest of the building. Drayden could see where Robert had started trying to clean the floor, though he'd only made it muddy instead. A window had likely been left open over some period of time, Drayden figured.

A scratching sound emanated from the desk. Drayden looked around, trying to determine the source. It really an unsettling sound. Robert tensed up. "Th-that's the monster," he said.

"Where do you think it is?" Drayden asked.

"I shut it in a drawer," Robert said.

A monster that would fit in a drawer? Drayden thought about this, raising an eyebrow. Though there were some smaller monsters, were there any as small as this? Maybe it was just a little boy's imagination after all. Even if that was so, he was still investigating as promised. Drayden opened the biggest drawer of the desk.

"Axew!" the small, get still unmistakably monstrous looking creature said as it jumped out. Robert shouted in fright, hiding behind Drayden. Drayden looked over at the monster, who had run over to the window, jumping on the ledge. Drayden observed curiously as the monster didn't try to smash the window, but instead open it up. The window being latched, it didn't have much luck with that.

The small monster looked back at Drayden, staring him right in the eyes. Drayden stared back, momentarily nervous at what the creature might do. But the monster itself ending the staring contest. "Axew..." it said nervously, then jumped down from the ledge, now making its way to the door.

"Wait," Drayden said. He went to the door to block it, but then stopped to avoid running Robert over. The monster made its way into the hall.

Drayden and Robert both followed. It was easy to find where the thing had gone by following the noise. It was in the common area, where some boys now crowded around it. "What's that thing? What's it doing here?"

"It's some kind of monster!"

"It doesn't look like a tough one," another boy said. He swung his mop, hitting the monster.

"Axew!" the monster shouted in pain. "Axew," it said, now angry.

"That's enough," Drayden said. "If it's so weak, there's no need to attack it!" With his firm words, the boys backed away. Drayden took a step forward. Now being given some space, the monster seemed to be less aggressive, even though it had just been attacked. Drayden had the thought that maybe this creature had some kind of intelligence as it watched Drayden approaching carefully.

Though still wary, Drayden casually passed the monster and went to the door, opening it. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to leave," Drayden said, trying his best to speak politely on the off chance this monster could understand him. "This building is only for students and staff of this school."

"Axew," the monster said, looking down, appearing disappointed. Despite that, it walked forward, going to the door.

Maybe this had been a good hide-away for a small, weak creature like this, Drayden realized. As the monster got outside, Drayden pointed to another building. "That one's empty," he said.

"Axew!" the monster said, its head perking up. It had been kind of silly to speak to the monster like it understood, but it still seemed to, Drayden thought. It even nodded, or so he thought, before running off.

Drayden shut the door. Robert walked up to him. "Thanks," the younger boy said. Drayden nodded, hoping this would be the end of the story.

* * *

"Axew!"

Drayden was slightly startled at hearing the sudden sound as he stepped out of the dorm, on his way to the first day of classes. "It's you," Drayden said, looking down at the small monster. "What should I call you anyway?"

"Axew," the monster said cheerfully.

It was definitely silly to ask a question like this, as the monster only chirped that one word. "Axew then," Drayden said, even as he thought this. "You'll get hurt if you stay around this campus. You should leave."

"Axew," Axew said, shaking its head.

"Well, you've been warned," Drayden said, now turning and walking away from Axew. The small monster was following at his feet, Drayden noticed with some annoyance. He didn't say anything until he arrived at the building with his first class, however. "You can't go in. This is a building for classes only, and you're neither a student nor a teacher."

"Axew," Axew said, seeming to frown, though it still obediently walked away from the entrance, before it turned around and stared at Drayden entering.

Drayden looked back. School staff wouldn't be pleased to see a monster right out there in the open, and curious students might poke Axew or otherwise harass it to see what might happen. Well, the monster had been warned, and seemed to understand Drayden at least to some extent. Drayden ignored it and went inside for his first class.

When he came back outside later, Drayden noticed Axew was gone. He felt some relief, but also a little worry at what might have happened. Before he could dwell on it more, one of the older primary students approached him.

"Hey Drayden, don't you wrestle?" the kid asked.

"There's no team anymore," Drayden said.

"But you were the best, right?"

Drayden shrugged at the question, turning away. But the kid kept talking. "It's too bad there's no team anymore. I think you'd definitely be beat this time!"

"You think so?" Drayden said, turning around and taking a closer look at him. This younger kid, Henry, could be kind of irritating, Drayden recalled. But Henry was only ten, so it wouldn't be right for Drayden to accept a challenge from him.

"Not me," Henry insisted. "My friend. He's pretty awesome. I know he could beat you. You'll fight him, right?"

"Maybe," Drayden said. He missed the wrestling program since it had been discontinued the year before. There was nothing exciting like that left in the school. So Drayden now followed Henry to outside the school's gym, where a group of boys were waiting.

"He'll fight!" Henry said.

"Maybe not," Drayden said. He didn't like Henry's tone, but something else was off. None of the boys standing there it looked like Drayden could wrestle with, all being younger primary students. It would be way too imbalanced in Drayden's favor.

"Come one, you aren't afraid, are you?" Henry said. "G- My friend can definitely beat you."

The boys all stepped aside, and an even shorter kid in a trench coat came out, holding a girder over his head. Drayden looked at him closely. The boy's face was obscured by a large hat, but Drayden was still sure it wasn't a student he knew. There was definitely something odd about him, both in his body shape and act how he walked.

"You're ready to beat anyone, right?" Henry said. The unknown boy gave a positive grunt and raised the girder higher. Henry turned to Drayden with a grin. "You're ready too, right Drayden?"

"Who are you?" Drayden asked the strange kid, who tensed up, taking a step back, but still didn't respond.

"Hey, it's just a new student. You're ready, aren't you?"

Drayden raised an eyebrow. Of course it wasn't a new student, since there was only one new student this year. It wasn't his job to find out who the visitor was, though. From his height, he did seem like a kindergartner. "New students should also know to be in uniform," Drayden said.

"Hey, don't be like that. You're going to wrestle, right?"

Drayden shook his head. It was ridiculous to suggest that he would. "I'm sure he can find a better match after he changes into something more suitable."

"So you're running away?" Henry said, walked in front of Drayden to block his way.

"What did you expect me to do? I wouldn't bully a weak opponent," Drayden said.

"What?" Henry said as Drayden walked around him. Behind the both of them, the strange kid also began to grunt his protests. Drayden heard the kid now running toward him. As he turned around, he realized he was going to be struck.

"Axew!" Axew jumped next to Drayden, spitting a bluish mist from its and to the attacker. The boy was stopped by the force. As he fell backward, his hat fell off. Drayden was now able to take a closer look at him, or rather, it. It wasn't a new student, but definitely some kind of monster.

"It's another monster!" one of the spectators shouted.

"So your 'friend' was a monster?" Drayden said, looking at Henry.

As Drayden spoke, the spectators fled. Henry's monster friend, previously looking ready to fight, appeared uncomfortable as it looked from side to side, then jumped as it looked up at Drayden. The monster stood up and followed them, along with Henry himself.

Drayden gave a slight sigh. Then he looked down at Axew. "Hmph. Looks like I owe you," Drayden said. Axew has basically saved him from being attacked by that monster when his back was turned.

"Axew," Axew said, shaking its head no.

"So, you think we're even?" Drayden said, recalling the previous day's situation, when he'd saved an apparently helpless little monster by his own estimation. Then he smirked, thinking about how Axew had taken on a monster twice its size. "You're not as weak as I thought you were, are you? No, I don't think you're weak at all, are you?"

"Axew," Axew said, pleased with the compliment. It nodded to confirm Drayden's suspicions.

* * *

Drayden heard a knock on his door. He looked up from his textbook, then opened the door. Henry was standing, there, scowling. "Yes?" Drayden said, prodding him to speak.

"Who did you tell? That new headmaster? One of the teachers?" Henry asked.

"About?" Drayden said.

"About my monster, what else?" Henry asked.

"No one. It's not my concern," Drayden said.

"You expect me to believe that? Someone like you just wouldn't say anything?"

"Don't believe it then," Drayden said impatiently, shooing Henry back so he could close the door.

"Wait," Henry said, letting out a sigh. "You really didn't say anything?"

"No," Drayden said, though he doubted every single person who knew about the monster wouldn't say anything.

"Thanks," Henry muttered.

Drayden nodded. Henry then walked away, so the door could be closed again. No, Drayden hadn't told. He was a student, and therefore not someone who needed to monitor, discipline and redirect the other students himself. He would only do something if it was dangerous.

And maybe it was a little dangerous for a ten-year-old kid to be keeping a monster like some kind of pet and trying to get it to fight, Drayden thought guiltily. But it would hypocritical for Drayden to say anything about it. After all, Drayden had been spending a lot of time with a stray monster himself. He hadn't adopted the monster, but Axew had well enough adopted Drayden, Drayden realized..

Drayden closed his books and put them neatly away. Now that he was done studying, he could go out and meet Axew. Monsters were specifically not allowed in the dorms. Nor on campus at all, Drayden knew, but he couldn't be held responsible for the entire campus as much as his own dorm room. So Drayden went to meet it outside.

On the way, he passed Robert's dorm again, where other younger boys stood outside teasing him. Drayden felt some annoyance. Their routine was tiring. "Enough," he muttered as he walked by. The boys ran away at this comment, and Robert stood up and closed the door. So, that was done.

Now Drayden went off to the wood. "Axew!" Axew ran up and greeted him happily.

"Are you ready to work, Axew?" Drayden said.

"Axew," Axew said with a nod.

Drayden couldn't help but smile. This was the part of the day that he had really started looked forward to. They went about their routine, doing some routine exercises. Then Drayden threw projectiles at Axew who either dodged them or hit them with its strange energy. Drayden was pleased to see that Axew was growing stronger and stronger everyday. It was a fun activity.

And though Axew was happy to participate, Drayden worried it might be becoming bored with the same routine all the time. Maybe a powerful monster like Axew would want to prove its strength by sparring with other monsters. Drayden might wrestle it himself if Axew was bigger. He was starting to understand why Henry had sought out an opponent.

But maybe Drayden couldn't do something like that just now. He watched Axew carefully now. "Axew! Axew!" Axew said, happily destroying even the rock projectiles. It really had mastered the makeshift obstacle course that Drayden had prepared. Yes, maybe a live opponent for some friendly sparring would be fun, both for Axew and himself, though Drayden wasn't going to be as impulsive as Henry had been. He wanted to know more about these monsters first.

* * *

"Drayden! You have a letter."

Drayden looked up from his desk. "Oh, thank you," he said. He looked at the front, then ripped it open. The contents were exactly what he'd hoped they would be. Drayden would be taking a short trip this weekend.

For now, he just put the letter away in his desk. Finishing his studies, he put everything away, then went outside to meet Axew. He heard some banging, then saw some boys throwing a ball against the side of the building. There were other places to do that, Drayden thought, annoyed. He was even more annoyed when he came closer and saw they were knocking some of the paint off of the siding and even chipped the wood. He grabbed the ball as they threw it again. "That's enough," he said.

"What's your problem, Drayden?" one boy asked, both of them looking annoyed yourself.

"Look at what you're doing! Don't you have any pride left in your school?"

It was a silly question to ask, Drayden realized once he'd said it. The boys had no response at all, and ran away while Drayden was mulling it over, with the ball still in hand. Someone touched him on the shoulder, and he gave a start and turned around.

So it wasn't just the question that had them running away. The new headmaster now stood behind him. "There was a noise complaint," the headmaster said. As he spoke, he looked utterly unconcerned, Drayden observed. His gaze was toward the ground and his expression was almost sleepy. How unbefitting of a headmaster. "Was that you making the noise then, Drayden?"

"No, sir," Drayden said calmly. Even if it had been, what would this person do? Maybe give him a detention, Drayden considered, as that was easy and effortless. Though this man was supposedly in charge of the school, he did little.

"Well, I didn't think so. I'll take that and deal with those two that just left," the headmaster said.

Drayden nodded and handed the ball to him. "Wait, sir," Drayden said as the headmaster turned his back.

"Something else, Drayden?"

"Yes," Drayden said with a nod. "You will be at the student council meeting on Monday, won't you?"

"Why would I need to be there?" the headmaster said, furrowing his brow.

Drayden sighed silently. He'd already explained this, and the headmaster had always agreed to come. Drayden tried to be patient before explaining the reasons yet again. "We would like a chance to hear from you the improvement plan for the school, and how we might help you move toward that goal this year."

"Hm? Alright, that's fine," the headmaster said, moving away. Drayden noticed it wasn't even in the direction that the careless vandals had gone. He sighed again. Even his fellow student council members had a lukewarm interest in this at best. There wasn't a person left other than him who was willing to put any effort in?

"Axew!" Drayden heard the call as he went further into the forest behind the school. "Axew. Axew!" Axew looked up with Drayden, almost with a grin on its face, though as a monster, its expressions weren't exactly the same as a human's. Axew's feelings were still easy to read, though. It was ready to put some real effort into training.

"Let's get started, Axew," Drayden said, not wasting a second. He put as much effort into training his body as the monster did, not willing to be outdone. They practiced for a while, then stopped to take a break, sitting by a stream.

"Axew?" Axew said, perking its head up.

Drayden also picked up on the nearby human voices. He began to walk toward them, to find the source. Standing at the edge of a rocky clearing were the youngest primary students in the school, including the newest one. Drayden scowled. Why would they be here alone? Someone should definitely be looking out for them before they came across a dangerous place like this. "What are you doing here?" Drayden asked.

The boys looked guilty, and didn't reply. Warning them was definitely more important than scolding them. "Listen," Drayden began, kneeling down to face them. "You absolutely cannot go past this clearing. Do you understand?" Again, the boys didn't respond. "Do you?"

"We know that already!" one of them finally spoke.

"It's one of the rules, right?" another said.

"Yes. This is the one rule you shouldn't break," Drayden said. Unchecked, these kids were breaking a lot of them.

"Why?" one asked. They continued to challenge authority even through Drayden, who wasn't really an authority figure.

"That way is the monster's domain. Your safety can't be guaranteed," Drayden explained. As he spoke, they only started to snicker. Drayden became frustrated, thinking of what else to say. Things really had changed around this school. When he had started at the school, he had come here supervised, listened to the warnings of his teacher, and taken them seriously.

"Axew? Axew!" Axew spoke from inside the forest. Hearing that, the boy's jovial expressions fell, and they began to run, back in the direction of the school. Axew walked nearby Drayden, stopped by his feet. "Axew?" it said.

Drayden still frowned. He really wasn't sure they understood. He had other things to concentrate on though. "Alright Axew, let's continue," he said.

"Axew!" Axew nodded happily.

* * *

"Thank you, sir," Drayden said, nodding at his father's friend. He stepped out of the car, taking his unusually large bag. It was also quite heavy, but Drayden tried not to show the strain in order to avoid suspicion.

Too late. His father's friend looked over, raising his eyebrows. "Are you alright, Drayden? What's this fellow have you doing for him, anyway? Is he giving you enough compensation?"

The professor would actually be helping out Drayden, but Drayden didn't especially want to say so. "It's fine. I'll be done before the end of the day," he assured the man in the car.

"Would you like me to wait for you?"

"Oh, no sir," Drayden insisted. "Don't trouble yourself. I'll find another way back when I've finished. But thank you."

With that, he finally drove off. Drayden crouched down and opened the bag. "Axew..." Axew said weakly from inside. It then got up, peaking over the edge, and taking a deep breath.

"I'm sorry, Axew. You'll have to wait in here for just a little longer," Drayden said.

"Axew," Axew said irritably, but still sat back in the large but still cramped bag.

Drayden closed it and hoisted it up. As he went to the door of the professor's house, he put the bag at the edge of his porch, then knocked on the door. A middle-aged man answered. "Oh? Hello, good morning. You wouldn't be Drayden, would you?"

"Yes, sir," Drayden said.

"Well, come on in then," the professor invited.

As Drayden stepped inside the room, he turned to the professor and spoke in a low voice. "Sir, I don't want to shock you, but I brought the monster I wrote you about."

"Oh?" the professor said, not appearing fazed at all. "Well, bring it on in then."

Drayden was speechless at the casual invitation. Then he noticed something in a corner. There was a monster, a small one like Axew, mostly blue in color. It stood up and yawned. "Osha?" it said sleepily. Drayden stared at it.

The professor looked at Drayden, noticing his alarm. "Oh, don't worry about Oshawott here. It's used to all kinds of other monsters coming by. All of the monsters here are," the professor assured.

Drayden nodded, still hesitant. What an eccentric person this professor was. But that just meant he had to have lots of experience in working with these creatures, and could likely answer the questions that Drayden had.

So Drayden went outside. "It's alright," he said to Axew as he opened the back. "You can just walk in."

"Axew!" Axew happily did so. "Axew?" it said as it noticed Oshawott inside. "Axew, axew!"

"Oshawott," Oshawott said, then let out a yawn. "Osha," it added.

Drayden observed the monsters curiously. They almost seemed to be having a conversation. It wouldn't be too strange if they were, would it? Axew seemed to understand Drayden more often than not.

"So, this is the monster you found at your school? It's healthy for sure. I can see it's taken to you as well. Did you want to donate it, or were you planning to keep it?"

Drayden was puzzled at the question. "You keep these things?" he asked. "I mean, more than one? As pets?"

"Hm," the professor gave Drayden's question some thought. "What school were you from again, Drayden?" As Drayden told him, the professor sighed. "Oh yes, it's one of those. And it's a boarding school, isn't it?"

"Yes," Drayden confirmed.

"So if you've gone there for long, I guess you haven't had much interaction with the rest of the developing world," the professor said with a shrug.

"Sir?" Drayden said.

"Drayden, monsters are an important part of our society. They have been for a long time, maybe back to when Reshiram and Zekrom still looked over Unova from the sky or before. Humans and monsters, we're valuable companions to each other."

Drayden was starting to think the professor was a more than just a little eccentric, but almost wanted to believe this. This wasn't the first time Drayden had heard something like this. Classmates of his over the years had very often talked about having monsters at home, wanting to have one, wishing the rules of the school were different, and wanting to tame or train monsters when they grew up. Drayden had usually dismissed it as their fantasy, but had been puzzled at just how deep these fantasies sometimes went.

"Yes," the professor continued. "There are a few schools, like the particular chain that includes your school, that don't believe in educating young people about monsters. Those students usually pick up the information from other places. You're an exception, aren't you?"

"Hmph," Drayden said, smirking cynically. He'd done his best to master his studies, and always read from the 'official' sources, which included very little information about the monsters. In fact, save for the obligatory mentions of Reshiram and Zekrom in the history texts, the curriculum he followed didn't want to admit that monsters existed at all. With only sticking to this curriculum, Drayden had earned good grades and the approval of the school staff and his parents. Had he also missed imperative information on monsters that would allow him to function in the world?

"So, you do know more than you're saying?" the professor asked after a few moments silence.

"Well, I'm afraid I might be lacking in understanding," Drayden said. "Especially when compared to you, Professor."

"Well, I'd be more than happy to help out a new trainer like yourself. You'll want to keep this pokemon, won't you?"

"For as long as it will continue to train with me," Drayden said.

"Even if you were to try and give it away, it might refuse that and follow you, hm? Well, let's see what I can tell you. An axew, is it?" The professor took a book out of his shelf as he spoke.

Drayden blinked in surprise as the professor said Axew's name. But there really was a good reason people might also call this kind of monster 'axew'. He looked at the book that the professor had opened and put on the table. "Axew" was written right next to a sketch of what definitely looked like his monster friend.

"It's a dragon type. Those can be relatively rare. But you aren't the first to raise or train one." The professor began to share information on what was understood about raising dragon type pokemon, specifically smaller ones like axew.

A hour or so later, Drayden was well informed about the monster's basic care. Drayden decided he was definitely going to 'keep' the monster. Training with Axew was the best part of the day. Besides, now that Drayden knew a little more, and that this kind of situation wasn't all that out of the ordinary, his reservations had mostly disappeared. There was one question he still wanted to ask, though. "Professor, would it be inappropriate to have my monster spar with other monsters?"

"Spar? Oh no, monsters love to fight in sport. Not all, but most. Even Oshawott wants to give it a try every once in a while," the professor said, motioning toward the again napping monster in the corner. "If you'd like to, and your axew would as well, then there's really no reason not to," the professor explained.

Drayden nodded. He still had reservations, but it was definitely something he wanted to try.

"What do you say, Oshawott? You want to try a battle right now?" the professor asked.

"Osha?" Oshawott said, lazily opening one eye.

"No, I couldn't," Drayden said.

"It's fine. I'll explain to you the generally accepted rules of battle. You'd like to try that, wouldn't you?"

"It doesn't seem that monster wants to participate, though," Drayden said.

"Axew," Axew said, almost laughing, turning its head from Oshawott.

"Osha?" Oshawott said, looked up with two partially open eyes and a frown.

"Well, it really can be lazy at times," the professor said.

"Oshawott!" Oshawott leapt up, taking the shell on its belly into its hand.

"But maybe not today," the professor said. "Shall we?"

"Alright," Drayden agreed hesitantly. Axew let out a shout of approval, and with that, Drayden also began to gain confidence. "Yes, we're ready," he spoke for the both of them.

"Come on outside then," the professor said, waving toward the back door. As they walked, he began explaining to Drayden about the basics of battle.

Drayden tried to take it all in, but felt someone confused. "Attacks? You keep mentioning that. I'm not really sure what it means, given the context."

"Oh, all pokemon have special attacks, or general defensive moves."

"Axew might not," Drayden said.

"Of course it does. All pokemon are born knowing things like this. Axew, why don't you show us what special attacks you've learned?" the professor suggested.

"Axew?" Axew said, looking toward Drayden.

"If we're to have a chance, I should know," Drayden said. "Go ahead."

"Axew," Axew said with a nod. It swiped ahead of itself, its claws appearing to glint in the sunlight. Then it turned back toward the men. "Axew," it said, nodding.

"That's its scratch attack," the professor said.

"I see..." Drayden said, unimpressed. The monster was just swiping forward.

"Axew," Axew said unhappily as he it saw Drayden's reaction. It glared forward again. Its claws actually glowed this time, and it struck forward again at the imaginary opponent.

Drayden could definitely feel the increase in energy. "Osha..." Oshawott said, also feeling the powerful attack. It frowned. "Oshawott!" it said, raising the shell in the air.

"Not yet, Oshawott," the professor said.

"Professor, what was that?" Drayden asked, motioning toward Axew.

"Oh, that was its dragon claw attack! It's really very powerful. You've really been training with this Axew, haven't you?"

"Axew," Axew nodded. It then blew forward, a purple energy spewing from its mouth.

"Oh, that's dragon rage!" the professor said, again impressed. "I haven't seen it in person before.

Drayden nodded. He'd seen that 'attack' before, when Axew had taken on the monster of the his unruly schoolmates as well as when they'd trained. Now he was starting to understand what the professor had meant by 'attacks'.

"Let's get started then. Are you ready, Oshawott?" the professor asked.

"Osha wott!" Oshawott said, jumping in front of the professor.

"Axew," Axew said, stepping in front of Drayden.

"The rules are, we keep going until one monster surrenders or becomes unable to battle. Is that fine, Drayden?" the professor asked. Drayden nodded. "Then, let's begin. Oshawott, I know you're eager to try this. Razor shell!"

Oshawott!" Oshawott began, running toward Axew with its shell raised. Both Drayden and Axew had a moment of pause at the listless monster suddenly being so aggressive. Axew's eyes glowed as it looked toward Oshawott.

Oshawott shivered, but it still struck Axew, who flinched, moving back. "Oh!" the professor said. "That was leer, another of Axew's moves, a defensive one."

So, Axew had to 'attack' on its own, Drayden thought. Maybe he could help direct it. "Axew, try that dragon claw attack," he said, though he was unsure Axew would handle performing an attack that took so much energy again so soon.

"Axew!" Axew said, then ran toward Oshawott.

"Osha..." Osha said, grinning nervously.

"Oshawott, try-" the professor began.

Axew shouted again, swiping toward the other monster. Oshawott fell on the ground, belly up. "Osha..." it said, sighing.

"Ah," the professor said with a sigh. "I thought I'd give you a challenge since you'd never battled before, but I was really no match, was I?"

"It was good for the opportunity," Drayden said. "I think I've learned a lot.

"Right. Now, let me take care of Oshawott. I can look Axew over before you go, too."

Drayden nodded, and then followed the professor back instead. Eventually, Axew was decided to be healthy and free of injury. "Thank you for your time and advise, Professor," Drayden said before he left. He didn't want to phone anyone for a ride. It might be more fun to walk with Axew. As Drayden did, he noticed that he barely got a passing glance, even with the monster right next to him. There was definitely truth to what the professor had said, and also truth to Drayden's own ignorance, which he would be taking steps to rectify.

* * *

Drayden left the meeting feeling frustrated. The old headmaster would make it a point to show up to the student council meetings at least once a quarter, and always on the first meeting of the year, giving them input and direction. This new one hadn't shown up at all, despite promising to several times.

Well, it wasn't entirely unexpected. Even thinking this, Drayden became further disheartened. He'd seen the reactions of his fellow council members, who all kept looking toward the door, wanting to leave rather than discuss the reason they were all there in the first place. Drayden had always felt energized and excited about his work on the student council and what they might accomplish, but it was getting difficult for even him to be so when both the students and staff were too lazy to put any effort into their school.

But Axew would be pleased to participate in their training routine. Drayden was even tempted to seek our Henry and his monster companion for another possible match to see how he measured up. Walking toward the outside, Drayden began to seriously consider it.

"Drayden!"

Drayden turned around, and saw a group of young primary students running toward him. They were the ones who had mocked his warning before. "What is it?" Drayden asked.

"Robert's gone," one said.

"We dared him to go past that clearing. The monsters got him!"

Drayden felt anger and annoyance. He stormed off, away from the group of kids. The headmaster wasn't attending the student council's meetings, and he wasn't making sure these children were properly monitored. What was he doing?

Drayden threw open the door to his office without even knocking. The headmaster shuddered in surprise, but then looked toward Drayden with a blank expression. "Oh, Drayden. What brings you here today?"

"Your youngest student has wandered beyond the border," Drayden informed.

"What border?"

"The one that separates the wild monsters from us. You must know that. He could be in danger."

"Right," the headmaster said, then began sifting through papers on his desk. "I did have people I can call to deal with problems involving monsters... If I could only remember the names. I know I wrote it down somewhere."

"I'll just go and deal with it myself," Drayden said, turning his back.

"You mean, go past that border yourself?" the headmaster said.

"I can't deal with it from here, can I?" Drayden said, not caring if he was being offensive with his indirect critique.

"Drayden, come on now, stay here. You didn't seem like the type to break the rules."

Drayden turned back around. "Even you must be aware that those rules don't exist simply so they won't be broken," he said. He turned around. There was really no time to waste. "Well then sir, excuse me."

As Drayden ran into the woods to meet Axew, it raised its arm to greet him. "Axew!" it said as a greeting. "Axew?" it said, seeing how tense Drayden was.

"Axew, we need to go. One of my schoolmates needs our help, over there," Drayden pointed toward the area of the forest that he'd long been forbidden to go.

"Axew!" Axew said seriously.

It did feel awkward to Drayden to pass by the border he'd always respected before. But as he and Axew walked around, Drayden noticed it wasn't much different than the forest by the school. It was all pretty normal looking. Drayden began to call for Robert, and Axew echoed his sentiments, also calling out. Drayden began to get impatient as he noticed nothing.

"Mu?"

Drayden looked up. He could see some unsettling-looking pink monsters floating in front of him and Axew. Though Drayden was fairly uneducated on monsters, he had heard of this kind. All of his teachers and his former headmaster had warned him to run away if he saw any. The floating monsters were called munna.

"Axew," Axew growled. It got on the offensive, looking toward Drayden. Drayden put up a hand. Observing the munna, Drayden realized the unsettling feeling was just from the constant warnings he'd received regarding them. He'd never actually encountered any himself. Maybe they weren't as bad as he had heard. They didn't look like they could cause him much harm.

"Excuse us," Drayden began politely. "I've just come looking for an underclassman from my school. He must have wandered into here. If I could get him back, we'll leave."

"Mu," the munna said, speaking in a low, almost musical voice. Their eyes started to glow, and they radiated a sparkling energy. Drayden and Axew both shouted as it hit them both.

Both human and monster got to their feet. Drayden realized it was definitely an attack that those munna had used. "Axew! Try your dragon claw!"

"Axew!" Axew chanted, following Drayden's instructions and beginning the attack.

Drayden saw that as Axew began to attack, at least a dozen more of the munna appeared. He wasn't going to have Axew taking them on on its own. Drayden shouted and ran forward, ready to strike one. Before he could, the munna all flew up. They released a purple mist, and Drayden prepared for the attack to hit, though nothing happened.

"Drayden," Robert's voice called.

Drayden looked around, and saw where it had come from. "Robert?" he said. Wandering around, he saw nothing, even as he called for Robert again and again. He heard Axew cry out in pain, and his attention wandered, and he turned back to where he'd separated from his monster friend.

Getting closer, Drayden panicked as he heard Axew let out another cry of pain. He ran faster toward the source of the cry, then heard it swallowed up by a deep sound, another monster's deep-voiced roar. Drayden finally reached the area, and saw a larger monster than Axew there, swiping at the munna with little effort. The munna floated away. As the area cleared, Drayden could see that Axew was gone. The large newcomer looked toward Drayden, its intimidating red eyes staring his way.

Drayden clenched his fist, shaking with anger as he realized what must have happened. This was the monster's domain, with who knew how many monsters around. This was just another one of those monsters. The munna likely knew of it, but Axew had been unprepared. This creature had taken the opportunity to kill it, then swallow it up without a trace.

Drayden wanted to turn away and forget all this had happened. He knew better than to turn his back though. As the monster approached him, Drayden began to shout in his anger. "Stay back! I may be human, but don't think I'll be so easily defeated!" The monster hesitated, and Drayden began to back away. As he reached a certain distance with the monster staying in place, Drayden did turn away and run.

He still had to find Robert, Drayden recalled. But he slowed, and again trembled in his anger. Even if people like the professor spoke of these monsters positively, and even if others became companions with them, these monsters were really terrible, weren't they?

They were just like people in that way. No matter how many good people were out there, bad ones, or just plain lazy ones, would come in and destroy what had been established. Axew had been a good monster, friendly and unwilling to hurt humans even when it had been trapped when they first met, Drayden recalled. Just like everything else that was good, Axew had to be smashed. There was nothing else that could have happened. Drayden had definitely heard Axew's cries right before he'd gotten there, and then saw a glowing energy. Maybe other monster hadn't eaten Axew, just vaporized it with a specialized attacks.

Drayden realized he'd had been thinking, not even to the extent of carefully looking out for signs of his schoolmate or other monsters, just running. The direction he'd been going was away from the school, and further into this area reserved for monsters. He looked around now. He was going to call out for Robert, but something stopped him. His pace was much slower now, and he walked forward carefully.

"Mu," the sound reverberated through the air until it was nothing but a loud buzz. Drayden just stood and stared in disbelief as the munna floated down in front of him, first one, then ten, then certainly at least a hundred, with more arriving, forming a tower in the air. Drayden peered behind him and could see that the monster that had killed Axew was catching up as well. There was no place left to go, nothing left to do.

"Hmph."

Drayden looked around. He was sure he'd imagined hearing that amused voice. He definitely hadn't heard it in his ear, but in his mind.

"I should have destroyed that school the moment it was built."

"Who's there?" Drayden asked. Though he was sure he sure that spoken line was also in his mind rather than sound traveling through the air, it was far too clear to assume it wasn't real.

"I'm the master of this domain. I've observed, not one, but two human intruders into it, just today," the voice responded.

"I apologize. I've just come to take the other boy back, then we'll leave and won't return," Drayden promised.

"So I should just return the one that so willingly wandered in? Wouldn't he just encourage others to visit as well? I think his death might work well in deterring them."

Drayden clenched his jaw again. "So, like Axew, you've just killed him?"

"I've killed no one as of yet. I'm just thinking of the most dramatic way to do so, in order to inspire a fear that would cause no one to have another thought of entering my domain again."

"Don't be a fool," Drayden chided the faceless aggressor. "With tactics like that, you'll only inspire anger, and a further desire to invade your area of Unova."

"Hmph," the entity sounded amused again. The munna in front of Drayden began to fly off, in one direction and then the other. As they did, a shadow flew down. Drayden began to realize it was definitely something real. He stared in surprise as the giant monster landed in front of him. "All of Unova is mine," it declared. "I created it."

Drayden's face twitched. It might be, though it really definitely couldn't be. "Zekrom?"

"Exactly," Zekrom confirmed. "I'm happy to share Unova with other monsters and humans alike, but as for the area we stand, it's imperative that those who are neither these munna nor myself keep away from it."

Drayden wasn't going to push it to ask why, but just nodded in understanding. "If that's true, why is it so unprotected?"

"Myself and the munna provide protection enough."

"Still, it's just a place one can just walk up to. A young boy like Robert shouldn't have just been able to walk right into an area that it's imperative to stay away from. You should put up an actual physical barrier, so no one might happen in by accident."

"Hmph," Zekrom said, looking away. Drayden realized that Zekrom might have thought of something that obvious already. Maybe it was contemplating what it would do to Drayden for mocking it. "Not a bad idea," Zekrom finally said.

Drayden nodded. There was nothing else he could say, having made a suggestion and had it accepted.

"What's your name, then?" Zekrom asked.

"Drayden."

"Fine, Drayden. I'll give you the child to return to your school. Just let me ask you something else," Zekrom said. Drayden waited for the question. "May I test your heart?"

"What do you mean?" Drayden asked.

"It's simple. I have the power to see the strength of the hearts of humans. The time is coming closer to when I'll need a human to assist me. You might be suitable.

"Alright then," Drayden said. He felt suddenly taken away from the moment, back to various places he'd visited, such as his school and home. For a split second, he thought he was all of those places at once. Then he recalled where he was, in front of a monster of legend, fallen on the ground from whatever strange attack or power had been used on him.

"Interesting," Zekrom said as Drayden stood back up. "You really are a person who refuses to let your ideals die in your heart. The problem is you also refuse to extend them beyond just your thoughts. Though your heart is strong, I don't think someone like you, who refuses to act and change things to fit your ideals can really be of help to me."

"What's that?" Drayden said. "Do you think I can change the status quo just because I want to? Is the world so easy to change that I can make it fit my ideas of perfection just by my own will?"

"Yes," Zekrom said firmly. "That's exactly what kind of place Unova is. Molding this land into your ideals is something that can absolutely be accomplished."

Drayden paused for a moment, saying in that intense declaration. It would fit the stories he'd read, for Zekrom to be insisting something like this. But those stories were mere fairy tales, without a understanding of the complications of the world. There was a lot he'd like to see changed which couldn't be accomplished. He just had to sit back and accept things as they were.

As Drayden was silent, Zekrom finally spoke again. "Is this world really acceptable to you, Drayden? Even from your limited view?"

Hearing that, Drayden felt angry. "Not at all," he said. Yes, his view was limited. As it expanded, he realized two things. The first was how limited his view was and continued to be. The second was that there was absolutely nothing acceptable about the world.

When he was young, he'd had an understand that he just needed to work hard and play by the rules. Then he could reach a happy future, where he'd have a good job in a business, a wife, and children. That wasn't true, and besides that, there was nothing about that future that appealed to him at all, though he was still supposed to keep working toward it despite his own personal feelings.

Yes, that's how the rest of the world was as well. Everyone needed to keep working toward a goal defined by others, or hastily defined as a group, despite their own lack of interest and the shoddy result. Perhaps it was just for the purpose of doing anything in the first place. Drayden wanted to work toward goals he was passionate about, and put in everything he had until he achieved the very best results.

But such sentiments weren't compatible with this world. They were just strange. The world went against what was different, including new creations and improvement, always absorbing anything good back into its blandness. His beloved school would be closed. Society would break him into one of the apathetic adults he'd met. All of his passionate feelings would be killed and then erased into nonexistence just like his friend Axew had been. Drayden began trembling in anger just by thinking about how unacceptable the world he was supposed to accept was.

"I knew you thought that. My hero had similar thoughts years ago," Zekrom said. As he spoke, the munna came into view, an unconscious Robert floating along with them. "With my help, my hero changed the world in an absolute way," Zekrom continued. "You might be able to do something like that as well. In some years time, you'll either have strengthened your convictions and done something about them, or killed them yourself in your heart. If it's the former, I'd hope you'd come back and help me."

Robert floated to the ground in front of Drayden. Drayden picked up the little boy, nodding at the monster. "We'll leave your domain now. Thank you for your consideration," Drayden said coolly and politely. Zekrom narrowed its eyes at Drayden, who didn't seem to be taking the legendary monster's words to heart at all.

Drayden turned around to leave. He froze, seeing the monster that had killed Axew. It had been scared away when Zekrom had appeared, but now it was back, and approached them. Drayden panicked, defenseless while carrying the boy, and unsure of what to do. The monster didn't appear to get into an offensive stance, but it had been quite threatening to the munna before.

"Take your other friend with you too. It doesn't belong here either," Zekrom said.

"My what?" Drayden said. He observed the monster closer. Some of the features on it did look similar to Axew, in a vague, ancestral sort of way. But it couldn't really be Axew.

"Fraxure?" the monster said, its expression changing from the angry one to one that absolutely resembled Axew.

"Axew... It's you, isn't it?" Drayden said.

"Fraxure!" the monster said, nodding.

Despite himself, Drayden's eyes began to form with tears, which he couldn't wipe away as he was still carrying the young boy. Axew was alright. Not only that, but seemingly by its own will, it had changed to become a larger, and likely more powerful monster. There were still incredible things to discover about the world after all. Drayden had himself doubted there ever would be, mirroring the apathy and living the stagnation that he despised. How could he hypocritically stand here and call Zekrom's principles unrealistic when there were those whose will would change their world after all?

Drayden blinked his eyes, then smiled and nodded at the his monster friend. "Let's go," he said. With that, they began to walk back toward the school. Before reaching the end, Drayden ran into the headmaster, who looked lost and panicky. Drayden sighed. Hadn't he implied to Zekrom that there would be no more intruders?

"Drayden... It's you! You found him, thank goodness."

"Yes, sir. Now we'll have to leave," Drayden said, continuing to walk forward and hoping the headmaster would just follow.

The headmaster did indeed follow. "There's a monster, right there, should we be concerned?"

"No, sir. That one's my friend," Drayden explained.

The headmaster nodded, accepting this easily. "I was so worried... They said they couldn't go into this particular area. It was too dangerous, and there's actually laws on the books against stepping foot here. Thank you for finding him, Drayden."

Drayden raised an eyebrow at his headmaster's sudden concern. It almost seemed out of character. Well, he couldn't think about that now, he just needed to be sure to get Robert somewhere that he could rest and hopefully see a doctor.

* * *

Drayden finished sweeping and mopping up the empty room. It had also been dusted, the furniture polished, ready for any student that might take his place, if by some miracle there should happen to be one. After double checking to make sure if anything has been left in any drawers or corners, Drayden turned off the lights. He shut and locked the door, pulling it one more time to make sure it was properly shut.

As he got to the main office, he saw the headmaster talking to several teachers. "I'm sorry," the headmaster said. "I'll get back to you, soon." As Drayden filled out some paperwork at the front desk, he saw the headmaster approaching. "Drayden, please come in my office! I'd like to speak with you."

Drayden nodded, and followed him in. The headmaster sat down at his desk, taking a deep breath. He looked down, then back up. "I've been meaning to speak with you," he said. "There's that student council, you need to be advised, don't you?"

"I'm not the right person to speak to about that now, sir," Drayden said.

"But you were the one who kept inviting me, but I kept getting sidetracked. I really do want to advise you properly, though. Just let me know what I can do."

"Everyone was just curious about your plan for improving the school. We can help with various projects, but we'd like to know, what changes have been decided?" Drayden asked.

The headmaster looked confused at the question. "Well, what do you mean? I know there's a plan to recruit more students, if that's what you're asking."

"Hasn't that been done already, and failed? Why not change the school to make it more appealing, to change and improve with the times? Monster-related subjects could be added, for example," Drayden suggested.

"No," the headmaster insisted. "That's something we absolutely won't do."

"Why not?" Drayden said, annoyed though he tried his best to hide it. "That kind of knowledge is essential to our world, isn't it?"

"Drayden, well, I don't know how long you've been at this school-"

"It's the only one I've ever attended," Drayden informed.

"Oh, well that explains your question. Obsession over monsters is prevalent at many institutions in Unova and even throughout the world. But there's really more to learn about. Schools like this are necessary, allowing students to be fully educated without such distractions. Aren't you grateful for the education you've received here?"

"Yes," Drayden answered honestly. Even if he'd wished some things would have been different, he'd enjoyed much of his time here.

"Of course! Then you must understand the reason these kinds of school exist. You know, I didn't expect to hired, but this is just the kind of school I've always wanted to run."

Drayden blinked in surprise. The headmaster seemed really enthusiastic as he spoke, nothing like the detached, lazy impression Drayden had always gotten from him before.

"Now, can I schedule a time to advise the student council?" the headmaster began looking through the mess of notes on his desk, trying to find a planner, or maybe just something to write with.

"You'll have to speak to the new council president. I resigned that position right before I withdrew from school," Drayden said.

The headmaster widened his eyes in surprise. "But Drayden, you were just saying you've attended this school so long. And it's your last year, isn't it? Don't you want to graduate? You'd be making a big mistake, dropping out so suddenly."

"That could be," Drayden said. "But I've already made my decision. There's no time to waste when it comes to what I what to accomplish. I wish you luck, though."

The headmaster tried to convince Drayden a while longer, eventually giving up, all while saying that Drayden had at least a week or two to decide to stay before the paperwork would be finalized.

Drayden had already made his decision, though. Even with the pointless argument, he'd been glad for the conversation. Changing his point of view, Drayden had only cemented his decision. He'd been someone who saw those around him as feeble, detached, and lazy because they didn't work toward his vision. That new headmaster, though quite disorganized and inexperienced, had been trying his best to pick up the mess that had been left behind and care for his students. They didn't share a vision, but the headmaster had been working toward repairing the school even more than Drayden had.

That's right, Drayden had been the listless, lazy one. He'd only sulked about what others wouldn't do instead of thinking about what he could do on his own to reach his dreams himself. Things would be different now.

"Come on, Fraxure," Drayden said, calling to his now taller monster friend as he officially stepped outside the gate of the school.

"Fraxure!" Fraxure said happily.

It was nice to have a companion who earnestly wanted to follow him, Drayden thought. Drayden hoped to find out more about the monsters in the world. Later, he might want to create a community like his school, based on his own standards of what was ideal. The days of waiting for something better were over. Drayden's own will would be the one he'd rely on to mold the world how he wished.


End file.
